Chapter 786

Dong Fang Yu Liang, shocked, demands to know who this newcomer is. Tan Wu Feng and Dong Po Kong feel dread at the aura Old Lord Can Yang gives off. The star will asks Can Yang calmly whether he too has come to inherit, and Can Yang, slightly stunned, asks with surprise whether he is even qualified. It rules that passing this test proves ability, and that the inheritance was never meant for the cowardly and useless. Having shown outstanding skill, Can Yang now qualifies, but Yu Liang, chosen by the main body, remains protected inside the test: success shuts Can Yang out, failure reopens his chance. ^{ch. 786}

Can Yang decides to wait rather than seize the inheritance by force, since force here would only yield an incomplete inheritance, and a wisdom path inheritance is worth far more complete. His gaze passes from the star will to Yu Liang, then settles on Tan Wu Feng and Dong Po Kong. His calm stare feels to them like danger blaring. ^{ch. 786}

Sensing something wrong, Yu Liang shouts at him to explain himself. Can Yang only snickers as Tan Wu Feng and Dong Po Kong’s bodies ignite instead, since the star will bars an outright killing of Yu Liang himself. Shaken, Yu Liang kneels and begs the star will to save them, since he owes his progress to them, but it answers coldly that begging wastes time better used finishing the Gu formation. ^{ch. 786}

Privately it warns Yu Liang: this Gu Immortal is a grave threat even its main body would be wary of, and the star will, only a remnant, has deceived and stalled Can Yang. Finishing the formation in time would let Yu Liang challenge Gu Immortals and perhaps save his men. Land spirits never lie, but a star will, unlike a land spirit, can. Understanding the bind, Yu Liang rises, vows to save his men, and turns back in tears to keep working the formation. ^{ch. 786}

Can Yang wills the flame larger, doubling their cries, yet Yu Liang does not break into rage. His eyes bleed from the strain of deducing so hard. Watching this, Can Yang worries success would ruin his plan, though he believes his strength could still let him seize it after. His deeper problem is his Central Continent identity: every region is hostile to a foreign Gu Immortal, Northern Plains especially now, so exposure would bring him serious trouble. He stays torn between striking Yu Liang secretly and forfeiting his chance, unsure whether the star will is lying. ^{ch. 786}

Outside in the sky, Unfettered Scholar’s wariness grows at the sight of Fang Yuan’s three hands, but he charges in regardless to test Fang Yuan’s strength, and Fang Yuan attacks without holding back. Scholar dodges both hands with ease. Fang Yuan answers with two more, five in all, four of which chase Scholar, each pushed to Fang Yuan’s current limit, though his zombie body’s eight arms mean five is not yet his ceiling. Though the hands press him harder, Scholar stays safe, his gift for movement letting him taunt Fang Yuan to show more, since the slow hands cannot catch him unless he slips. Even leading the exchange, Scholar feels shaken by what Fang Yuan has shown, and wonders how strong Fairy Li Shan and Hei Lou Lan might be, standing behind Fang Yuan. ^{ch. 786}

Pi Shui Han, suspicious, sets an old grudge with Scholar aside and adds his force against Fang Yuan, sending a wave over a hundred feet tall down on Fang Yuan’s group, so the rest of the Gu Immortals retreat to clear the space. Fearless, Fang Yuan releases three more hands, eight in all, and Hei Lou Lan and Fairy Li Shan let their Immortal Gu auras show, at least two apiece, yet even this fails to drive off the two rank sevens. The two instead needle Fang Yuan’s group with words, one suggesting they might secretly be righteous path Gu Immortals to split them from the demonic path onlookers, the other wondering aloud whether they are even from Northern Plains. Gu Immortals fight with calculation and scheming as much as with sword and blade. ^{ch. 786}